Today we may be witnessing the tragedy of our lifetime: the Brazilian Amazon is in flames and in peril.

An unprecedented number of manmade blazes are raging across the rainforest, blanketing the region in acrid smoke and prompting a state of emergency. Indeed, it’s not only the Amazon, but our entire planet that is in crisis as the devastation of this life-giving biome poses a real, existential threat for all of humanity.

We are witnessing a government that denies its responsibility for this tragedy while it dismantles Brazil’s environmental protections and rejects its duty to uphold human rights. A president so desperate to deflect culpability that he concocts pathetic theories that the very organizations dedicated to defending the rainforest are themselves responsible for this disaster. We are witnessing a perfect storm, with no end in sight.

Amazon Watch is working around the clock to ensure that the world understands both the causes and the solutions to this crisis. These fires were set deliberately and those who are resisting need our urgent support. A global solidarity movement must rise to directly oppose Bolsonaro, and as a solidarity organization Amazon Watch aims to spearhead these critical efforts.

The loss of Amazon forest coverage is tragic on so many levels.

For one, the Amazon is a critically significant ecosystem for global biodiversity. More species of plants, animals, insects, and micro-organisms can be found in the Amazon than anywhere else on land. Studies have shown that an area smaller than half a football field could support 1,100 tree species alone!

Secondly, the Amazon is one of the world’s most important carbon sinks. The great rainforest is responsible for more than 400 million tonnes of carbon uptake annually. As the forest burns, however, not only is the power to sequester that much carbon being lost, previously stored carbon is being released back into the atmosphere.

Finally, by sequestering that much carbon the Amazon also provides the planet with a huge amount of oxygen. Most estimates place the Amazon’s oxygen output at 20% of the world’s total.

Though these are only a few examples of its importance, the impact the Amazon has on life on Earth cannot be understated.

So, what more motivation do you need to take action?

What can be done?

Though we wish all the old-growth trees lost would still be standing, there is something that can be done. Plant trees!

The only way to rebuild the Amazon is going to be to put more trees back in the ground. Granted, it will take time for these trees to be as influential as their forebears, but the value of their future impact is virtually immeasurable.

Newly planted trees will help restore the most severely damaged areas of the Amazon. As they grow, the trees will sequester carbon and release oxygen, but more importantly they will serve as the foundation for rebuilding an entire ecosystem.

Protecting the Amazon and restoring burned areas means rebuilding critical habitat for potentially 2,000 different species of animals including many endangered ones like river dolphins, tapirs, spider monkeys, and sloths.

The impact of planting trees on humans will also be immense. Living within the Amazon are many Indigenous communities who rely heavily on the resources of the forest for their livelihoods. These communities are often not the cause of these fires or other degenerative forest practices, as they tend to be conscientious and responsible stewards of the land.

Unfortunately, these Indigenous communities and small-scale farmers are also disproportionately affected by these fires.

It will be a number of years before we can plant directly in the burn scars of these ongoing fires, but there are other areas in the Amazon that are ready for planting right now, with projects in progress that need support. In particular, our Amazon project in Peru is primed and ready to go.

Peru is home to the second largest portion of the Amazon, and our local partners are doing a great job growing, planting, and maintaining the trees we plant. By completing our reforestation projects here, when the time comes to plant after these fires have subsided, we will be ready to make a difference immediately.

Planting trees is the most effective way you can get involved in saving our precious Amazon rainforest and the animals who live within it, as well as supporting Indigenous communities, and helping protect our climate.